The Barr Has Been Raised at UMaine

[Drew S.]

Maine got another commit tonight: https://www.eliteprospects.com/playe...99/reid-pabich

He’s having a good season in the USHL.

[BlackBearFan19]

Maine got another commit tonight: https://www.eliteprospects.com/playe...99/reid-pabich

He’s having a good season in the USHL.

Good commits seem to coming in very quickly. This kid has tons of USHL experience so he should be a player who will be ready for the college game. I like the fact that the coaching staff seems to be hitting all different leagues and not just going after USHL players. Early in Red’s tenure it felt like we were picking up the scraps in the USHL just because it produces the most college talent.

Barr was advertised as a great recruiter and he’s going out and finding players. Who knows how they will perform but he looks like he is laying the foundation for success. There have been a good blend of older and younger guys committing over the past few weeks. If this team improves over the season and plays his style, in addition to having quality players commit, I think it’s a great success. Like he said all along, the 3rd season is when we should start to gain some real traction.

[Chuck Murray]

I’d say I’m hopeful Ben does well. If he isn’t successful it isn’t necessarily a poor reflection on him. If you look across sports some situations work out and others don’t. There are a million different factors and luck plays a massive part. You can’t convince me Umass gets anywhere close to the frozen four without Makar. One stroke of luck like that can make all the difference in a program.

Maybe Makar was the key to getting them moving at the outset, but don't forget, they didn't win until Makar had moved on from the program. And I don't think you can point to a similar transcendent talent with Union or PC (other than BU's goalie who threw the puck into the net for PC) that got them to the top after being pretty much unremarkable programs pre-Barr.

Everyone gets lucky once in awhile. Some folks even might be in the right place at the right time twice. When you get to three, though, it's exceedingly difficult to chalk it up to "luck".

With all of that being said I don’t think it’s unfair to be critical about Maine’s performance last weekend. That was a gilt edged chance to get a couple of wins and Maine didnt even get one. This isn’t a good Maine team but it isn’t a completely hopeless team either. A hockey east team should be beating an Atlantic hockey team at home the vast majority of the time. If the games had been elsewhere I’d cut him more slack.

I'd agree with about 95% of what you said here. Definitely a pair of missed opportunities.

I see this weekend as a lost cause but hopefully against UConn Maine can get off the mark.

UConn's HC is an abhorrent knob. They can't lose often enough for my liking. Go UMaine.

[FLHockeyMom]

Maybe Makar was the key to getting them moving at the outset, but don't forget, they didn't win until Makar had moved on from the program. And I don't think you can point to a similar transcendent talent with Union or PC (other than BU's goalie who threw the puck into the net for PC) that got them to the top after being pretty much unremarkable programs pre-Barr.

I'd argue that (Floridian) Shayne Gostisbehere was the transcendent talent for Union. He may not have put the puck in the net as much as Makar, but he was the original definition of a puck-moving defenseman.

[Chuck Murray]

I'd argue that (Floridian) Shayne Gostisbehere was the transcendent talent for Union. He may not have put the puck in the net as much as Makar, but he was the original definition of a puck-moving defenseman.

I think that's the closest (Gostisbehere) Union had to a transcendent talent, but I didn't/don't think he quite measures up with Makar, who was/is probably a generational talent, much like prior HEA talents like Leetch and Paul Kariya were. Gostisbehere is probably along the lines of BU's Chris Drury, best player/leader of a talented, well-rounded team, but not next-level talent. Maybe Monty was a UMaine example of a similar player? Put Monty and Kariya together, though ...

[Fishman'81]

Good commits seem to coming in very quickly. This kid has tons of USHL experience so he should be a player who will be ready for the college game. I like the fact that the coaching staff seems to be hitting all different leagues and not just going after USHL players. Early in Red’s tenure it felt like we were picking up the scraps in the USHL just because it produces the most college talent.

Barr was advertised as a great recruiter and he’s going out and finding players. Who knows how they will perform but he looks like he is laying the foundation for success. There have been a good blend of older and younger guys committing over the past few weeks. If this team improves over the season and plays his style, in addition to having quality players commit, I think it’s a great success. Like he said all along, the 3rd season is when we should start to gain some real traction.

Maybe we'll see a major uptick by the 3rd or 4th season, but seeing Barr's 1st class will give us an indication of things to come.

This season will likely be a washout, but it's a silk purse/sow's ear deal... There isn't much for Barr to work with here. Red drove this program 6 feet under, God rest his soul.

[Wayuphere]

6/10/14/18. Wins per each year as a sign of progress. Maybe a tad conservative…the 6 this year is based on a weak HE.
Effort and discipline first, talent comes later.

[amkirby10]

Here's a hot take: Maine picks at least one game off NU this weekend.

[BlackBearFan19]

Here's a hot take: Maine picks at least one game off NU this weekend.

I think there’s a chance, I might eat my words here but I think Northeastern is overrated. Their goalie is legit but it seems like they always have a lot of hype coming into the season and never live up to it. They just dropped a game to UConn so hopefully Maine comes out strong Friday night and takes it.

[ticapnews]

Roll another one,
Just like the other one.
You been holding onto it,
And I sure would like a hit!

Don't bogart that joint my friend,
Pass it over to me!

[acs64]

I’d like to comment on something here but everyone and his brother and sister and illegitimate child has already explained why Barr will do just fine and why Chuck is still nothing more than another sissy wearing UNH panties . Same old chit no ? Yaughn

[Fishman'81]

Not going to say much aside from this: don't expect a sea-change this year in regard to Maine.

This forum-format is a complete ****-show, but I seem to recall someone opining that one Junior League or another bleeds talent up to D-1... Nope.

I follow D-3, which also takes the USPHL (or whatever the **** it is) leftovers, and every other league's leftovers. Some guy might rack up 65 points in 35 games there in a given year, and still produce nothing at the next level.

League affiliation doesn't seem to matter much. The calculus changes radically every year.

[Blackbear96]

I search Twitter for "Maine Hockey" maybe once a week in-season to check in and see if anyone nationally has mentioned the team, obviously in a down year it's essentially a zero...BUT it feels like Barr / Fortier / Alfie are pulling multiple recruits a week. Perhaps it's a renewed interest in the program, but it doesn't feel like Gendron did that...ever.

Obviously talent will be interesting to see when they get to Orono, but Barr is pulling kids left and right. For me, that's encouraging.

[Drew S.]

I search Twitter for "Maine Hockey" maybe once a week in-season to check in and see if anyone nationally has mentioned the team, obviously in a down year it's essentially a zero...BUT it feels like Barr / Fortier / Alfie are pulling multiple recruits a week. Perhaps it's a renewed interest in the program, but it doesn't feel like Gendron did that...ever.

Obviously talent will be interesting to see when they get to Orono, but Barr is pulling kids left and right. For me, that's encouraging.

It seems to me that he has done really well with dmen, good with forwards, and the goalies are kind of a wildcard. Neither goalie has done much this year which is a bit of a concern. The biggest need I see is one or two really high end forwards.

[walrus]

NU all over Maine early, not even close